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DNA methylation at birth in monozygotic twins discordant for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

ABSTRACT: Aberrant DNA methylation constitutes a key feature of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia at diagnosis, however its role as a predisposing or early contributor to leukemia development remains unknown. Here, we evaluate DNA methylation at birth in 41 leukemia-discordant monozygotic twin pairs using the Illumina EPIC array on archived neonatal blood spots to identify epigenetic variation associated with development of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, independent of genetic influence. Through conditional logistic regression we identify 240 significant probes and 10 regions associated with the discordant onset of leukemia. We identify a significant negative coefficient bias, indicating DNA hypomethylation in cases, across the array and enhanced in open sea, shelf/shore, and gene body regions compared to promoter and CpG island regions. Here, we show an association between global DNA hypomethylation and future development of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia across disease-discordant genetically identical twins, implying DNA hypomethylation may contribute more generally to leukemia risk.

SUBMITTER: Nickels EM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9568651 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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DNA methylation at birth in monozygotic twins discordant for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Nickels Eric M EM Li Shaobo S Myint Swe Swe SS Arroyo Katti K Feng Qianxi Q Siegmund Kimberly D KD de Smith Adam J AJ Wiemels Joseph L JL

Nature communications 20221014 1

Aberrant DNA methylation constitutes a key feature of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia at diagnosis, however its role as a predisposing or early contributor to leukemia development remains unknown. Here, we evaluate DNA methylation at birth in 41 leukemia-discordant monozygotic twin pairs using the Illumina EPIC array on archived neonatal blood spots to identify epigenetic variation associated with development of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, independent of genetic influence. Thr ...[more]

PMID: 36241624

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Project description:BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Epigenome-wide association studies can identify environmentally mediated epigenetic changes such as altered DNA methylation, which may also be influenced by genetic factors. To investigate possible contributions of DNA methylation to the aetiology of rheumatoid arthritis with minimum confounding genetic heterogeneity, we investigated genome-wide DNA methylation in disease-discordant monozygotic twin pairs.MethodsGenome-wide DNA methylation was assessed in 79 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for rheumatoid arthritis using the HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array (Illumina). Discordant twins were tested for both differential DNA methylation and methylation variability between rheumatoid arthritis and healthy twins. The methylation variability signature was then compared with methylation variants from studies of other autoimmune diseases and with an independent healthy population.ResultsWe have identified a differentially variable DNA methylation signature that suggests multiple stress response pathways may be involved in the aetiology of the disease. This methylation variability signature also highlighted potential epigenetic disruption of multiple RUNX3 transcription factor binding sites as being associated with disease development. Comparison with previously performed epigenome-wide association studies of rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes identified shared pathways for autoimmune disorders, suggesting that epigenetics plays a role in autoimmunity and offering the possibility of identifying new targets for intervention.ConclusionsThrough genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in disease-discordant monozygotic twins, we have identified a differentially variable DNA methylation signature, in the absence of differential methylation in rheumatoid arthritis. This finding supports the importance of epigenetic variability as an emerging component in autoimmune disorders.

Project description:DNA methylation appears to play an essential mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of ALL, thereby potentiate its use as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis (Milani, Lundmark et al. 2010; Geng, Brennan et al. 2012; Sandoval, Heyn et al. 2013), and even a potential target of novel therapeutic approaches in ALL. In present study, we collected blood specimens for 4 pairs of monozygotic twins (MZ) and 1 pair of dizygotic twin (DZ) that are discordant for ALL. We sought to comprehensively assess the magnitude of genetic and epigenetic differences between ALL-affected and unaffected twins. we conducted whole genome and whole methylome sequencing on these five pairs of ALL-discordant twins. We also examined both the MZ and DZ twins using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). At first, the methylation differences across the genome were addressed globally by Circos software. And then tried to characterize the co-twin methylation divergence in specific genomic regions between ALL-discordant twin pairs. These patterns of dynamic co-twin methylation changes in these discordant ALL samples were generally consistent among MZ and DZ twins, indicating similarities of methylation abnormalities. As a result, 780, 566, 309, 293 and 2110 DMRs were identified, with a similar distribution pattern across different genomic elements among the five twin pairs.Then we annotate whether these DMRs were located in regulatory elements and identification of genes with recurring methylation alterations in a cohort of ALL patients. We collected blood specimens from 4 pairs of MZ twins and 1 pair of DZ twin that are discordant for ALL. At first, the methylation differences across the genome were addressed globally by Circos software. And then tried to characterize the co-twin methylation divergence in specific genomic regions and differentially methylated gene regions (DMRs) were identified between ALL-discordant twin pairs. Then we annotate whether these DMRs were located in regulatory elements and identification of genes with recurring methylation alterations in a cohort of ALL patients.

Project description:BackgroundWe present a method that utilizes DNA methylation profiling for prediction of the cytogenetic subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells from pediatric ALL patients. The primary aim of our study was to improve risk stratification of ALL patients into treatment groups using DNA methylation as a complement to current diagnostic methods. A secondary aim was to gain insight into the functional role of DNA methylation in ALL.ResultsWe used the methylation status of ~450,000 CpG sites in 546 well-characterized patients with T-ALL or seven recurrent B-cell precursor ALL subtypes to design and validate sensitive and accurate DNA methylation classifiers. After repeated cross-validation, a final classifier was derived that consisted of only 246 CpG sites. The mean sensitivity and specificity of the classifier across the known subtypes was 0.90 and 0.99, respectively. We then used DNA methylation classification to screen for subtype membership of 210 patients with undefined karyotype (normal or no result) or non-recurrent cytogenetic aberrations ('other' subtype). Nearly half (n = 106) of the patients lacking cytogenetic subgrouping displayed highly similar methylation profiles as the patients in the known recurrent groups. We verified the subtype of 20% of the newly classified patients by examination of diagnostic karyotypes, array-based copy number analysis, and detection of fusion genes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). Using RNA-seq data from ALL patients where cytogenetic subtype and DNA methylation classification did not agree, we discovered several novel fusion genes involving ETV6, RUNX1, and PAX5.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that DNA methylation profiling contributes to the clarification of the heterogeneity in cytogenetically undefined ALL patient groups and could be implemented as a complementary method for diagnosis of ALL. The results of our study provide clues to the origin and development of leukemic transformation. The methylation status of the CpG sites constituting the classifiers also highlight relevant biological characteristics in otherwise unclassified ALL patients.

Dataset Information

DNA methylation at birth in monozygotic twins discordant for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Publications

DNA methylation at birth in monozygotic twins discordant for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

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